Saturday, February 18, 2017

String Quilt for a New Grandmother

Ok. I got sidetracked. Instead of working on Coins or Spiderweb, I finished a top for a dear friend who recently became a grandmother. No complaints though. A finished quilt is always a win plus it only took a day to baste, quilt and bind this little toddler quilt which will be perfect to use when the baby visits.

String quilt quilted with a grid pattern using a walking foot.
Red and yellow string quilt, quilted and bound

The quilting design is a variation of the one I used on the blue string quilt. This time I stitched in the ditch of all the blocks then stitched a half-inch away on each side. Finally I divided the remaining space into half and half again (four equal-ish sections.) It was easy to quilt from point to point with the walking foot after eyeballing the spacing and marking it with straight pins. The ditch stitches only show on the back; that makes the front a bit plainer than intended.

Quilting point to point using
straight pins to mark the points.

The fabric for the back has been in my stash for years. {In fact, I just culled it. Sitting on top of the "future sleeve" pile made it more noticeable.} What a treat to have sufficient yardage for the entire back.

Red and Yellow String quilt detail:
quilting, binding, and backing

The same fabric creates the binding, too. It is cut separately, not pulled from the back. The fabric is naturally blurry and a third of a yard still remains.

The best thread color turned out to be brown. Blending with both red and yellow, it's not too harsh on either color.

Quilting detail, red and yellow string quilt

Quilt Details
Size: 40" x 48"
Design: String quilt on paper foundation
Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton
Thread: Brown Metler cotton
Quilting: Walking foot on a domestic machine

Enjoy the day, Ann

25 comments:

Ariane said...

Congrats on a wonderful finish!! It is a super cute quilt!! Yeah for busting more stash!!

Lisa J. said...

This is a beautiful quilt. I love the progression of colours. Thanks for the discussion on thread. choice. I am still mystified by thread choices and would never thought of putting brown thread with those colours.

Monica said...

You know, I see why you are addicted to these -- big blocks of beautiful colours, some nice diagonal movement, it is a big payoff for not a lot of work. Excellent ROI! Red, pink, yellow -- my favourites. :D

LA Paylor said...

maybe it was the strings, or the word grandmother but you took me back to watching my grandmother piece onto old yellow pages from a phone book. She hand quilted everything, in grids. Or tied them when she used old wool blankets for batt. Her batting was often raw cotton which shifted and lumped unless she heavily quilted them.

Ann said...

And a great way to use up scraps. No new fabrics here. : D

Ann said...

Thanks, Ariana. It does fell good to use up all the bits.

Ann said...

I tried red and yellow but they didn't work without changing threads. Rowan was an effort to see what would work best. Who'd have thought it?

Ann said...

I've pieced on yellow pages. Years ago. Don't see them much anymore.
What a lovely memory of your grandmother.

Angie in SoCal said...

Babies love red. Lucky Grandma

Julierose said...

Oh this is just lovely--the baby will just be drawn to those lovely bright colors...great job on the quilting--I would never have thought of brown--but it is perfect hugs, Julierose

Janie said...

Bright and cheerful quilt for a baby, I'm sure it will be loved and snuggled, isn't that what quilts are for?

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

I love all these string quilts you are putting together. The colors and fabrics are fantastic!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

A sweet little finish! String quilts have always been a favourite of mine, great for stash busting!

Cathy said...

Nice way to get sidetracked. Who doesn't love a string quilt? And, yes, even grannies need quilts for new babes. I'm glad you said you used brown thread. I never would have thought of that. I'm always at a loss for what color to use when quilting. I'm usually at a loss for how to quilt too.

Ann said...

Thanks, Angie. I like red too. Guess I'm just a big baby. :-)

Ann said...

I hope the baby will enjoy it. I'm trying to use up the stuff I have. Lots of red thread, but it didn't look great on yellow. I didn't have orange. The brown looked good on both.

Ann said...

A quilt to be loved and snuggled is the goal, isn't it Janie? Thanks!

Ann said...

They certainly are a great way to use up scraps, Cynthia. Thanks for writing.

Ann said...

Thanks, Linda. We agree again on strings and stashbusting.

Ann said...

Thanks, Cathy. I'm trying to use things on hand before buying more. I realized I have no idea when I purchased many of my threads. Better to use them up.
I worry about the quilting way more than it is worth. I'm finding I like simpler better these days.

Mystic Quilter said...

I love string quilts and really feel I need to make another one after seeing your beauty above, wonderful scrappy fabrics.

Ann said...

They certainly are quick and easy. And use up my scraps. Thanks for writing, Maureen.

patty a. said...

What a pretty quilt! I love red and yellow together!

Ann said...

Thanks, Patty. She likes the colors, too.

Stephie said...

Quilted in a day Ann?! You're superwoman. How lovely that the new grandparents get a gift too, so thoughtful of you. And I feel your thrill at a 'back in one piece', it can make quilting though the layers so much easier. Lovely quilt Ann and well received I'm sure :)